Biolyst Renewables – National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Technology Description

The team at Biolyst Renewables has developed technologies to produce adipic acid renewably at a competitive cost and lower environmental footprint than petroleum-derived adipic acid. Adipic acid is a primary component of nylon, and its production from petroleum releases significant quantities of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas nearly 300 times worse than carbon dioxide. Biolyst Renewables' approach overcomes this issue by producing adipic acid renewably from biomass at low cost and eliminating the release of nitrous oxide, resulting in one-tenth of the greenhouse gas footprint. With the help of Energy I-Corps, the team hopes to understand barriers to entry for the rapidly growing bioplastics market and how to compete with petroleum products in an environmentally sustainable manner.